I think Bordeaux hates me.
Every time I pick out a Bordeaux, it seems like I get a dud. Econo Man and I will open the bottle, let it breathe a bit, pour it, taste it, look at each other, and say, “meh.” Don’t get me wrong, these wines are usually drinkable and pleasant enough, but they’re not memorable in the slightest and I usually wish I’d grabbed a Malbec or a Carmenere or a Côtes du Rhône instead. And yet, I keep trying, because one of the most magical wines I’ve ever had was a lovely Bordeaux at a French restaurant in Denver.
Here are some possible reasons I’ve contemplated for my Bordeaux difficulties.
1) My price range just isn’t high enough.
2) There are good and bad Bordeaux wines, and I don’t know which labels to look for.
3) The wines I’ve been tasting are actually excellent, but I am a philistine with an Americanized palate that can’t appreciate subtlety in wine.
Options 2 and 3 are plausible, but I refuse to believe there are no good Bordeauxs under $20. That magical wine from the restaurant in Denver was $11 at the store, darn it! (It’s the Chateau Saint-Sulpice Bordeaux, if anyone is curious.)
Here’s what I do know: I need to read the labels more carefully. The wines I don’t care for often have a large (20%+) dollop of Cabernet Franc in them and skimp on the Cabernet Sauvignon. I am sure some consumers would consider the wines I don’t like smooth and elegant, and I would never put forth my opinions about Bordeaux as any kind of gospel, but darn it, I want flavor and structure in my wine! If that makes me a philistine, so be it.
Does anyone have suggestions for good Bordeaux? Please?
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